Wrench



C. F. FLETCHER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, 1917.

1,332,548. Patented Mar. 2,1920.

Immnnnnnnmnnnv attozmaw CHARLES FREDERICK FLETCHER, 0F FARMINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2', 1920.

Application filed May 16, 1917. Serial No. 169,043.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK FLETCHER, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Farmington, in the county of Marion, State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful lVrench; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in wrenches.

One of the objects is to provide a device of this character that may be used for turning both nuts and pipes.

A further object is to provide a wrench partaking of the nature of the alligator wrench. but having the jaws adjustable.

A still further object is to provide a unique arrangement for effecting the adjustment of the jaws.

A still further object is the provision of a wrench of this character which is simple in construction and which may be cheaply manufactured and sold at a low price.

Other objects will appear in the detailed description which follows.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be confined to the exact construction herein disclosed, the right being reserved to make any changes or alterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line l4: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the wrench having at one end the integral jaw 2. Just back of the jaw, the body 1 is reduced in thickness by the formation of the circular portion 3 which is designed to be half the thickness of the body. At the center of the circular portion 3 a tapped hole is prepared to receive the threaded end 4 of the screw-stud 5, this stud being adapted to pivotally connect the movable jaw 6 with the body 1. The jaw 6 carries as an integral part of it the circular pOrtion, 7 half the thickness of the jaw and so disposed with reference to the jaw that when it lies against the circular portion 3 the sides of the jaw 6 may lie in the same planes with the sides of the body 1. At its center the circular portion 7 is provided with an eye which loosely surrounds the shoulder portion 8 of the screw-stud 5 and this eye is countersunk on the outer face of the portion 7, so that the head 9 of the screw-stud may be flush therewith.

Both the jaws 2 and 6 are provided with teeth 10 to enable them to acquire a grip on pipes, nuts and the like and these jaws are normally held apart by a coiled-spring ll compressed between them, the spring being held in place by having its ends enter circular depressions 12 formed in the jaws. The aw 2 being an integral part of the body 1 is in reality a stationary jaw while the aw 6 which is pivotally supported on the screwstud 5 is a movable jaw.

The body 1 is recessed transversely to provide a space for the hexagonal sleeve-nut 13. This sleevenut is threaded over the screwstud 14 which has a shank 15 square in crosssection, this square shank slidably engaging the square hole 16 formed in the body 1. The screw-stud 14 is thus permitted to move longitudinally with respect to the body 1 but is precluded from turning movement with respect thereto. The forward end of the screw-stud 14 is adapted to engage the rear end of the movable jaw 6. An angular depression 17 in which the forward end of the screw-stud engages is formed on the rear of the movable jaw 6.

On the top the body 1 is provided with an abutment shoulder 19 of a width equal to half the thickness of the body. The back end of the jaw 6 abuts this shoulder when this jaw is farthest removed from the jaw 2. That part of the jaw 6 which contains the angular depression 17 overlaps the abutment 19 in the direction of the length of the jaw and a collar 18 is interposed between this portion and the end of the sleeve-nut 13, this collar loosely surrounding the forward end of the screw 14 and abutting the shoulder 19 on the rear, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 2.

Just below the point where the sleeve-nut 13 is attached the body 1 is narrowed as in dicated by numerals 21 and 22 in Fig. 5. This narrowing of the body 1 at the points indicated enables the sleeve-nut 13 to be easily manipulated by hand or by a wrench if so desired.

At theend-reniote from the jaws 2 and 6, the body 1 is provided with a set wrench 23, this wrench being made an integral part of the body. This set wrench is so constructed as to enable it totake two sizesof nuts, the jaws being so formed as to take a larger size of nut on one side of the wrench than on the other. This construction is clearly shown in both. F gs 1 andi From th? foregoing description taken in conjunction with the drawings, the operation of the wrench will be fully understood. Turning the sleeve-nut'13 will result in longitudinal movement of the screw 14, the

latter thereby pressing on the rear end of the movable jaw 16 and operating to turn it onthe screw-stud 5, thus moving the jaw 6 toward the. jaw 2, Reversing the rotation of the sleeve-nut 13 will operate to reverse the longitudinal movement of the screw 14 whose recession willv permit the spring 11 to nuove the jaw 6 away from the jaw 2, thus separating the two jaws. It will be observed that the jaws 2 and 6 can therefore be set to engage any diameter of pipe within reasonable limits or can be made to engage various diameters of nuts, if it is desired to use this end of the wrench for removing nuts.

What is claimed is:

In a wrench, the. combination with abody having a stationary wrench j aw at one end,

of an ovable jawhaving a recessed heel,

said jaws having overlapping parts, means for pivotally uniting said parts, spring means between the opposing faces of the jaws, said body having a cutaway portion adjoining the heel of the movable jaw, a screw extending longitudinally of the cutaway portion, one end of the screwhaving a reduced extension rectangular in cross section, said body having an elongated bore rectangular in cross section to receive said extension whereby the screw may moveaxially toward and from the recessed heel of the movable jaw, so that the forwardedge of the screw. may engage the recess oi the heel, a sleeve threadedon the screw to move the screw axially, a collar between thesleeve and the recessed heel of the movable jaw, and through which collar the said screw passes axially as the movable jaw is adjusted, said spring interposed between the jaws normally keeping the rear end of the pivoted jaw in engagement withthe end of the screw and the washer thereon and the screw prevented from coming out of-engagement with the rectangular bore in the body member.

In testimony whereof I have signedniy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES FREDERICK FLETCHER.

Witnesses:

L. N. WHITLATCH, JOHN E. WELLS. 

